ABOUT THE APPALACHIAN WRITER IN RESIDENCE POSITION

The AWiR post is sponsored by Ashe County Public Library in partnership with On the Same Page. Each author chosen for this residency strives to portray contemporary Appalachia with nuance and authenticity in their work. The AWiR is an integral part of the festival, participating in a number of events spanning the entire week of the festival.

2025 Appalachian Writer in Residence: Jane Hicks

A native of Upper East Tennessee, Jane Hicks is an award-winning poet and quilter. Her debut poetry collection, Blood and Bone Remember: Poems from Appalachia, won the Appalachian Writers Association Poetry Book of the Year and was nominated for the Weatherford Award. Her work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including Shenandoah, Appalachian Journal, and the Southern Poetry Anthology series. Her literary quilts have illustrated the works of Jo Carson, Sharyn McCrumb, and Silas House, and were featured in Blue Ridge Country Magazine. A retired teacher, Jane’s later poetry books—Driving with the Deadand The Safety of Small Things—also received critical acclaim, with the former winning the AWA Book of the Year (2015) and the latter published by the University Press of Kentucky in 2024.

As the Appalachian Writer in Residence Jane will participate in the following activities: 

• A Craft Talk open to the public at Ashe County Public Library
• A Workshop open to the public at Ashe County Public Library
• A Reading open to the public at Ashe County Public Library
• An Educational Workshop for Ashe County Young Eisner Scholars Appalachia Students